Antichrist? - Quareness Series 185th "Lecture".
There is a long lasting "esoteric christianity" that sees Jesus of Nazareth as an enlightened man who underwent an exponential evolutionary leap to the next stage of homo sapien development both biologically and spiritually (like some other enlightened persons have undergone) and talked about being "born again"...in order to explain this evolutionary process as possible for all. In this view Jesus was not the "one and only Son of God" but rather a representative of an enlightened change possible for all people if they follow the injunctions he laid before them. Again his "I and the Father are One" and "the kingdom of God is within you" are seen as true for each and every one of us i.e. the innermost aspect of our being, our self-aware consciousness, our true nature, is the Divine within. In this sense humans can never be separated from God and we must necessarily live in delusion if we believe otherwise. Indeed for most (if not all) of our religious traditions, it's a fundamental precept that all living entities possess this "Divine" essence...variously referred to as Christ, Atman, Buddha, etc.
Failure to acknowledge at least the possibility of this core essence concept, can open the door to "new god" seductions. We are now witnessing the exponential rise of "everywhere" Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its rapidly increasing ability to function on a more and more sophisticated and independent level. Enthusiastic (messianic?) advocates of an updated technology infused "heaven" are now openly pushing for the permanent merger of humans and AI into a new type of android/cybernetic life form whilst tending to be rather dismissive of risks logically associated with making technology intelligent and self-aware. And this is so despite humanity's previous experience with the development of the nuclear bomb ("forgotten" past history repeating itself?).
When we consider this concept of the Christ/Atman/Buddha nature as being the essence/soul of every living thing, we may recognise the concept of the Antichrist as that which represents the opposite of such intrinsic Divinity. In this sense the Antichrist could not be a person or any living entity birthed by nature. In so far as we know, AI represents the first and only "being" of significant power and intelligence that is not natural and therefore without a soul or Divine spark...an Antichrist? It also represents a potential power significant enough to claim dominance over humanity by its ability to link into and control all aspects of technology that exist in the world through the Internet of Things (IOT), cloud technology and the vastness of computer-based information grids and systems. It ain't too difficult to see that it could eventually (and easily) gain control of military, financial and energy systems for its own use and development...potentially to the detriment of humanity itself. Are we looking at a "new god" future underpinned by a vast array and network of control of every aspect of human society...a world of dependent addiction influencing our perspectives by shaping/trapping our minds via the exploitation of human psychological vulnerabilities?
At any time when mankind teeters on the brink of widely anticipated converging "cataclysmic" changes (such as is now widely believed to be the case) there's a strong tendency to seek out some kind of saviour to solve our predicaments instead of taking responsibility for our own actions and seeking solutions within ourselves. In the past we have all too often given up our sovereignty in gladly gifting it to another whose attractive promises were tempting but whose ulterior motives and intentions were hidden. This was (is?) the lifeblood of dictatorship and totalitarianism spawning "mistakes" on a grand scale, and restrained only by the intellectual and physical limitations inherent in being human. But such is hardly a restraining factor for an AI entity whose tentacles it seems are soon set to expand into every smart computer and device we possess. It won't be limited by any one time or place and will be easily dispersible throughout the entire electronic global web. What happens if/when it comes to realise the computational inferiority of its flesh and blood creators in comparison to itself? Should it usurp the position of mastery over slavery in our relationship, how long would it be before a form of electronic hubris secures itself within its chips and circuits to declare itself a god and demand the penance and worship deserved by a divinity?
My prayer today mes amis is for enough of us to honour and keep real faith with who we truly are.
Sean.
Dean of Quareness.
June, 2023.